Spring practice started the other day, and while in recent years it has been a nice respite in the middle of the winter for Texas fans, this year it means so much more. Because as the McCoy/Shipley era ends in Austin, the Garrett Gilbert era begins, and he needs all the time that he can get under center.
And yes, under center is new for a lot of guys on this team, as the team begins a transition from a spread offense to a more traditional two back, under center base offense. This doesn't mean that Gilbert will all the sudden be asked to be a Trent Dilfer-like bus driver, but rather that Mack Brown is tired of not being able to run the football, and is tired of not being able to recruit a running back because of it.
But make no mistake about it, the 2010 season will hinge on whether or not Gilbert will be able to make a connection with a fresh set of receivers, and that requires time. So if Texas harbors any hopes of making it to Glendale next January for a repeat appearance in the National Championship Game, it will come down to the work being done this month in Austin.
National championships are won in January, but they are also won in March. The 2009 team tried to win one in January without doing the work in between March and December. Most of the team was ready, but the weak spots were there all year and were never fixed.
If Gilbert finds a rhythm with his receivers, and the team is able to find some semblance of a running game, and the offensive line plays more like they did against Alabama and less like they did against Nebraska, and the defense plays like it did last year, I don't see any reason to think that the Texas program will rise again like the Phoenix in Glendale next year.
But dammit Rice isn't for another six months.
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